Nyassa, Apostolic Vicariate of

NYASSA, APOSTOLIC VICARIATE OF. - In the central part of Nyasaland (British East Africa), entrusted to the Society of Missionaries of Africa (White Fathers), who began the evangelization of the territory in 1889 at Mponda, at the southern end of Lake Nyassa.

On 31 July of that year the pro-vicariate was erected, raised on 12 Feb. 1897 to an apostolic vicariate. In 1898 King Mobamba, on dying, begged the apostolic vicar Msgr. Dupont to succeed him in the kingdom. Msgr. Dupont accepted temporarily in order to prevent the traditional massacre that followed the death of the king. In 1903 it was divided to form the apostolic prefecture of Shirk; on 28 Jan. 1913 to form the apostolic vicariate of Bamgueolo; on 8 May 1947 to form the apostolic prefecture of Northern N. Missionary activity is hindered by the too sudden irruption of modern civilization, by Protestant propaganda and by Communist propaganda.

The vicariate has an area of 32,500 sq km., with about 650,000 inhabitants, of whom 65,000 are indigenous Catholics, 46 foreign, 6,891 catechumens, 60,000 Protestants, about 40,000 Muslims and over 40,000 pagans. Indigenous priests 10, foreign 36, foreign brothers 9, indigenous sisters 18, foreign 31, catechists 679, teachers 209. One regional seminary (St. Anthony at Kachebers) and one minor seminary. Principal stations 12, secondary 80, churches 62, chapels 550; dispensaries 13, hospitals 5, leper houses 1, orphanages 4, printing presses 1 with 1 periodical (Katolike) of 2,000 copies monthly. Elementary schools 140, middle 2, vocational 2, normal 2.

Carlo Corvo